Please answer if you have medical knowledge about blepharitis?

Question

I was diagnosed today and will started my medications and drops tonight. I have had this problem for a good month before I finally went to the doctor. My doctor told me to throw away my mascara, and I forgot to ask him about my contact lenses and my eyeliners. My contact lenses are disposable and have been sitting in their sterile solution. My eyeliners are self-sharpening. If I break off the tops will that be okay, or should I throw them away? I have spent a lot of money on eyeliners, and there's no way I can remember which ones I wore and which ones I didn't, and I don't want to toss them if I don't have to. Thanks for answering.

Answer 1

You might try looking at it this way. Not that this is THE way.

The eyelid borders, or margins, have numerous glands. They're all along that border. IN the hair follicles themselves are glands (Zeis and Moll, I think) and there are the Meibomian glands which have about 20 or so openings along the lid margin. These openings are white and easy to see in the mirror.

Any time we put stuff along our lid margins that can stop up the openings or the lash follicle and bacteria have moved in for the weekend, they'll set up house and you'll have either an infection or an inflammation. Eye liner isn't dangerous. Mascara IS and should be replaced about once a month. So buy the little ones.

The bacteria that cause the inflammation are usually the 'normal' bacteria on the skin, Staph for instance. It just gets a nice closed space to multiply in and does so, you would too.  If the irritants of toxins from the bacteria, as they eat on the gland secretions are injurious, the lid will become inflamed. With inflammation, the irritation causes the blood vessels to enlarge....so it looks redder.

With the blood vessels passing lots of blood, and stretching the walls, fluid will leak and go into the tissues, so it becomes swollen.

The stretching of the tissue HURTS, and you already know that part.

The idea in treating this is to remove the harmful or inciting substance whether it be make up (not all that often), or dead skin cells such as in seborrheic dermatitis or other skin rash. Keeping the lids free from the debris by gently cleaning. Use water and maybe gauze with a drop of baby shampoo to get rid of the oils, the dead skin, the debris. Then put the antibiotic ointment (drops don't work) inside the lower lid. As it melts, it'll coat the lid margins nicely, so no need to use a q-tip and rub it into the lid. You did clean all the stuff off already anyway.

This will be a recurrent thing. It'll come and go. Yes it does depend on your overall health. Diabetics with lots of sweet secretions will have a little harder time. Any immune problem...leukemia, cancers, collagen vascular diseases, arthritis, colitis, gastritis, bronchitis, etc. will sort of make things a bit easier for the bacteria. But the Rx is the same. Get rid of the sugar, you'll get rid of the ants.

Answer 2

yes you can just sharpen your eye liners. if you have the throw away contacts i would toss the ones you wore. even in the solution you really dont want to take a chance. good luck   and also you may want to wash any make up brushes you may have used near your eyes.